


Anthropology from a Pragmatic Point of View

by Giada Luna (GiadaLuna)



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:07:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26936356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GiadaLuna/pseuds/Giada%20Luna
Summary: Neji Hyūga does not socialize, unless necessary. He observes his fellow university students from afar, and with as little interaction as possible...but all of that is about to come to an inglorious end, with - of all things - a party at the Hidden Leaf.
Relationships: NaruHina, NejiTen
Comments: 46
Kudos: 68





	1. The Party

**Author's Note:**

> AN: Anthropology from a Pragmatic Point of View by Immanuel Kant was published in 1798. "Kant's work distills the content that he taught in an annual course at the Albertus Universität in then Königsberg, Germany, a program which Kant set forth from 1772 until his retirement in 1796." (Wikipedia).
> 
> It also happens to be the perfect title for a story about Grad Student!Neji being forced to interact with people. Enjoy!

* * *

**Anthropology from a Pragmatic Point of View**   
**The Party**

* * *

> _"Young man! Deny yourself satisfaction (of amusement, of debauchery, of love, etc.), not with the Stoical intention of complete abstinence, but with the refined Epicurean intention of having in view an ever-growing pleasure. This stinginess with the cash of your vital urge makes you definitely richer through the postponement of pleasure, even if you should, for the most part, renounce the indulgence of it until the end of your life. The awareness of having pleasure under your control is, like everything idealistic, more fruitful and more abundant than everything that satisfies the sense through indulgence because it is thereby simultaneously consumed and consequently lost from the aggregate of totality." - Immanuel Kant_

Neji put the car in park and peered through the windshield.

Neji wasn't sure why he was even here.

That was untrue.

He knew why he was here - he just wasn't sure how he'd gotten himself into this situation.

He hated any kind of event organized by his peers, and yet here he was, at an event organized by his peers - and not just at any event - _a party._

He'd gone to one his freshman year, and made it through his entire undergraduate career and two years of graduate school without ever attending another.

Sadly, his perfect non-attendance record was about to come to an inglorious end, and at the Hidden Leaf of all places.

Unable to stall any longer and resisting the urge to mutter to himself, he locked his car, pocketed the key, and began down the path that forked at the sign; one for Konoha East, the other for Konoha West.

"So much for the road less traveled," he eyed the clearly more heavily trafficked path and followed the signs for Konoha West.

For all of his objection to his being here, Neji couldn't dispute the appeal of the place. Surrounded by trees, the sprawling property and its two enormous, Victorian homes made the fanciful name of 'Hidden Leaf Village' a fitting choice. An enterprising soul had seen the potential there, and turned the houses into rental properties. Historically, girls rented rooms in Konoha East, while boys rented rooms in Konoha West, although there were known to be exceptions. New residents were usually brought in by the existing renters, leading to few vacancies, and a coveted succession of tenants. Both houses shared a large lawn and fire-pit, multiple hang-out spaces in and out of doors, and a long legacy of having the best parties on or off campus in Konoha.

Neji stood alone on the wide, front veranda, prolonging the inevitable.

"Neji!" Naruto slapped a hand on his shoulder, startling him out of his reverie of incredulous regret. "What brings you here?"

Neji plucked the hand off of his shoulder disdainfully and grumbled, "You know precisely why I am here."

"Yeah," Naruto's grin curved wickedly. "Sorry, not sorry. Won that bet fair and square."

"Nothing fair about it," he narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, yeah. I totally hoodwinked you into this, but you agreed to it, so no complaining. Hinata just sent a text," he held up his phone and waggled it back and forth. "Ino and Sakura are bringing her over here. C'mon," he stuffed his phone in his pocket. "There's some time before the party. I'll show you around."

Neji followed in long-suffering silence, which was gleefully ignored by his host.

"Common areas," Naruto pointed to a few of the large, open rooms. "Got a study room over there, bathroom, kitchen - no bedrooms on this floor," he began to walk up the wide, wooden staircase.

"Three floors of bedrooms" he continued. "Some of us have Jack-and-Jill bathrooms, some have an en-suite. Just depends on what room you get. No one can come up here without a resident - that's a house rule."

"And your decorator?" Neji eyed the festive decorations along the banisters and hung from the ceilings.

"The girls came by and did a bunch of that," Naruto grinned. "We co-host these parties, but it's at our place this time. They tend to do the winter party because they have the best fireplaces. The firepit and the bonfire clearing is closest to our house, so we get a bunch of the outdoor parties."

"And do they normally have hordes of strangers in their home as well?"

"Only on every other Tuesday," Kiba interjected, stepping into the hall. He jerked his chin up at Neji. "Hyūga. Having a look around? We might have a vacancy, you know."

"Oh, Didn't I tell you?" Naruto asked innocently. "Neji's here for the party."

Kiba looked between the two of them, eyes wide with disbelief. "No shit?"

Naruto looked at Neji with a "Well?" expression, and the other man gave a single, grave nod.

"That…," Kiba's grin was slow and far too like Nartuo's for Neji's liking. "That might be the best thing I've heard all week. You going to join in the game tonight?"

"He sure is," Naruto interjected. "Shikamaru added him to the bracket last night."

"Troublesome," a voice called down the hall.

Naruto and Kiba exchanged grins.

"Well, then," Kiba's clapped Neji on the back.. "Looks like tonight will be fun after all. C'mon Akamaru - let's go finish setting up."

Kiba jogged down the stairs, a giant white dog following in his wake.

"You allow pets?" Neji wrinkled his nose.

"When they are a trained service and guard dog?" Naruto arched an eyebrow. "Hell yeah. Never had to clean up a mess from him. Can't say the same for all of the people that come through."

Naruto rattled off the names of several other residents, several of whom Neji recognized, several of whom he did not. They stopped by long enough to wave to Shikamaru, before heading down the back stairs to the kitchen where Choji was at work. No longer the only guest at the party, Neji was relieved when Naruto led him back out to the back yard.

"I gotta go help set up - Chōji's in there if you need anything. And don't worry," he grinned slyly. "I'll be back."

"Lucky me."

Naruto laughed, and walked away, unoffended, leaving Neji to his own devices.

The early autumn air was crisp, promising a cool night, and a bonfire later. Strings of party lights were becoming brighter in the last hints of daylight, and laughter and anticipation wafted in the air.

As the crowds, grew, Neji did an admirable job distancing himself, but it wasn't long before he was spotted as a new (and handsome) face. More seasoned partygoers recognized his 'leave me alone' expression, but there were always the hopeful - or the blatantly uncaring. After multiple deflections, Neji finally decided to see if Chōji needed anything in the kitchen.

He arrived just in time to find his cousin and her friends helping.

"Neji!" Hinata lit up when she saw him. "You came!"

"Told you he would," Sakura said, nudging her.

"It's just that he's so busy," Hinata said, her cheeks flushed a pretty pink. "I haven't been able to meet with you for almost a month!"

"Sorry," genuine regret tugged at his heart. "I've been pretty deep in it this year."

"You don't have to tell us," Sakura laughed. "Grad school is kicking all of our asses."

"You mean med school," Ino snorted. "Sakura is sickeningly smart and started college as a junior. She's pretty much our version of Doogie Howser."

"Still," he met his cousin's eyes. "I am sorry."

"Nothing to forgive," she placed a hand on his arm.

"How's it coming, girls?"

Naruto entered the kitchen, rubbing his hands together. Neji did not miss the way Naruto's eyes immediately found Hinata, nor how her eyes lit up upon seeing him.

"We'll be down in a minute," Sakura put a tray of things in the oven. "Why don't you two take those down to Kiba," she nodded to the two large lidded bins.

"Can do. Neji? You got this?"

Neji picked up the bin easily, despite its weight.

"Lead the way."

Kiba's grin curled when he saw Neji.

"Well, look at you being all helpful! You might get into this party thing yet, Hyuga!"

"Hardly," Neji handed over the bin and brushed himself off.

"Behold," Naruto clapped a hand on Neji's shoulder as he turned him around. "The pride of Konoha West!"

There, In the middle of the Konoha West back patio and under a cheery crisscrossing of party lights, was the legendary beer pong table of the Hidden Leaf. Constructed by previous tenants, it was said that it was employed by the residents to host one of the most elaborate versions of the game ever imagined. Even Neji - who studiously avoided all things of this ilk - had heard of its legacy.

"Great, isn't it?" Naruto surveyed the setup, hands fisted on hips.

"If you want alcohol poisoning," Neji snorted.

"Nah, we don't play like that at Hidden Leaf. True, we put out way more cups than most people, but most of them aren't even alcohol - some are something tasty, some are something nasty - sort of the Bertie Bots of Beer Pong."

"The what?"

"Ask Hinata," Naruto shrugged. "She loves those books."

Neji arched an eyebrow at Naruto, who grinned in return. "Want to ask her to see if I'm right?"

"I'll take your word for it," Neji said dryly, well aware that it was exactly that sort of bet that had gotten him into this situation in the first place. But as his cousin came across the massive lawn, with a sweet smile on her kind face, he couldn't be too angry about it.

"Here," she handed him a bottle of water. "You look thirsty."

"Thank you," he took it gratefully.

"Doesn't this look like fun?" she asked, her eyes alight with that singular naive joy that both endeared her to her older cousin, and terrified him.

He lowered the bottle from his lips.

"You aren't thinking of playing, are you?"

"Well… maybe," she glanced between him and Naruto. "I mean - I don't really know how, but it looks like fun, doesn't it?"

"Don't worry," Naruto put an arm around Hinata. "We'll show you how it works. Hey, Ino!" he looked over Neji's shoulder to their approaching friend. "Shikamaru got the brackets up yet?"

"He's working on it," Ino grinned, before turning a bright smile to Hinata. "Do you have a second? I want you to meet some of our friends."

"Sure," she smiled warmly. "See you both in a bit?"

"Sure thing, 'Nata." Naruto winked, and Ino led a blushing Hinata away.

"Okay," Naruto turned back to Neji. "You can let it out now."

"This wasn't part of the deal," Neji glowered, keeping his voice low and terse. "Bet or no bet, I won't let you put Hinata in a situation she can't handle."

"Relax, Neji," Naruto held his hands up. "I told you - I've got this covered, okay?"

"Define 'covered.'"

"It means that I would never let Hinata be put into a compromising situation, and I certainly wouldn't make someone who's probably never had more than table wine at dinner go hardcore on a drinking game. That's not how we do it here at Hidden Leaf."

The solidity and honesty that met Neji's soul-reading stare reassured him.

"I'm watching," Neji warned.

"Oh, I'm counting on it," Naruto smirked.

Neji felt slightly reassured as the game started. His first relief came when he realized that the many cups were filled with different things - and not all liquid. Ino and Sakura were helping to monitor the cups, and what went into them.

"Don't worry," Sakura leaned over to confide in him. "We sort've turned this into a game where you can drink rather than just a drinking game. Ino and Kiba and I monitor the cups - for the newbies there is barely two beers altogether."

"I appreciate that," Neji replied, arms crossed, eyes alternatively on the game, and on where his cousin stood nearby, watching Kiba and Shino play another team. "But if I think for even a second that this is more than she can handle, we're leaving. Bet or no bet."

"That's fine," Sakura shrugged. "You'll have to move fast, though."

"And why is that?"

"Because you'll have to get to her before Naruto. Or Kiba. Or Shino. Or Tenten."

"Tenten?" he quirked an eyebrow. "Who's that?"

"One of the guys' roommates. Had a class with Hinata, and they've hung out a few times."

"Hung out?" Neji furrowed his brow. "Where? When?"

"Campus? Here at the house?" Sakura shrugged. "Sometimes at our place. Wherever."

"She never mentioned," he mused, growing suspicious.

"I wouldn't worry too much," Sakura hid her smile.

"Is this Tenten single?"

"As far as I know."

"Then I have to worry."

Sakura shrugged again.

"You can judge for yourself," she pointed to the giant bracket Shikamaru had outlined for the beer pong tournament.

Neji grimaced.

There on the board it read: Naruto and Hinata vs. Neji and Tenten.

" _Fine,_ " Neji thought. " _I'll set him straight then._ "

The games started, much to the pleasure of the gathering crowd. Neji scanned the gathering throng of people and wondered where this Tenten guy was.

Someone behind him called out, "Hey, Tenten! Where've you been?!"

He turned just in time to see a gaggle of people laughing and greeting one another. One of them stood out from the crowd, purple paint streaked on his cheeks, hood pulled up on his head.

"Tenten!"

He and several others lifted their hands in greeting. He turned back to whoever he was speaking to, leaning over to hear whatever they are saying before smirking into laughter.

Neji decided he hated him.

"Alright there, Hyūga?"

Neji turned to find Kiba eyeing him in amusement.

"Fine," he said stiffly. "Just ready to get this over with. Where is this housemate of yours?"

"Akamaru," he patted the head of the large dog. "Go get Tenten."

The dog trotted off while Kiba nodded to the table.

"Rules," he began, and filled Neji in on the basics of the game as played in Konoha West. "And don't worry about Hinata," Kiba added as Neji cast a doubtful eye over the many more-than-10 cup arrangement on the table. "We kept the table set for rookies, and Tenten knows how to work the table. She'll be fine."

Neji doubted that, but it was too late to do anything about that now.

"Hi," a new voice said over his shoulder. "You must be Neji."

He turned, mentally prepared to politely tell another female that he was uninterested and to kindly fuck off, but stopped short. Instead of being met with flirtatious energy, the girl was calm and staid. He'd been expecting the all-too-familiar idiom of girl-dressed-for-party (specifically girl-dressed-for-party-that-wanted-something-from-him) but was met instead with its antithesis. She looked perfectly comfortable in a worn hoodie, and battered boots-over-jeans, and no more interested in him and their introduction than he'd been in Akamaru's .

"I am," he said cautiously. "And you are?"

"Tenten," she held her hand out to him. "Your partner for the evening."

Neji was taken aback.

"You're Tenten?"

"Who'd you think she was?" Kiba snorted. He held a fist out to her. "Knock 'em dead, roomie. Hyūga - just try and keep up."

Neji stared blankly at them as they executed some complicated roommate fist-bump jutsu.

"You're Tenten?" he asked, looking down at her again, and then back to the gaggle of friends. "But I thought…"

"That I'd be a guy?" she offered, amusement tugging at her lips. "No worries. Happens all the time when you are the only girl in a house full of guys. Kiba explain the rules to you?"

Neji nodded.

"Naruto and I talked this over," she nodded to the table. "I'll throw for Hinata, and you throw for Naruto - that means that whatever cups I hit Hinata has to take, and vice versa. Make sense?"

"I guess so."

"Trust me," she grinned. "This is the best arrangement for playing with a pair of newbies. And I promise I won't do anything to screw over Hinata. The girls already made sure that there wasn't enough alcohol on their side to do any damage - even if she drank all of it."

"I'm not so sure about that," Neji grimaced. "Hinata doesn't drink - it wouldn't take much."

"Trust me," Tenten smiled. "It will be fine."

Something in the naked honesty of her gaze resonated with him, and he found himself saying "Alright."

It turned out his fears were unfounded. Not only had the girls made sure there wasn't much alcohol involved, some of the cups had candy, or slips of paper with something silly on them - adding a dimension to the game Neji had never encountered.

Naruto was surprisingly good at the game, Neji realized ruefully, and he'd had his fair share of drinks to take - as had Naruto.

Hinata didn't do badly, and Tenten had been a good sport about taking whatever she got - which was whatever Hinata managed to hit.

But Tenten was masterful at the game. She made it look effortless and casual, but Neji recognized the precision with which she made her throws, unerringly hitting her target. It took him several turns to realize Naruto was signaling which cups she should hit - as if the two of them had a side game going on. Her misses were never misses - they balanced perfectly in the gap between two or three cups, or bounced off of a rim and into Naruto's waiting hand - they were calculated shots.

The result was that their team was behind, and Hinata hadn't had to drink alcohol, even once.

As the cups cleared, the game became trickier, and the friends on the side re-racked the groupings several times until only a few cups remained.

"You're not bad," Tenten said as Neji finished the drink from Naruto's last throw.

"And you are quite good," he replied, as she considered her next shot. It landed perfectly in a cup of punch - the same drink Hinata had been enjoying earlier.

"No alcohol in that one," she assured him quietly.

Hinata tossed a ball that landed into a cup, and she gave a wry smile. "Can't say the same for that one, though," she picked up the cup and toasted the other team.

Naruto and Hinata won in two more turns, amid cheers and high fives. She flushed with happiness, as Naruto beamed at her, murmuring something in her hair that made her laugh before he kissed the top of her head.

Neji watched her smile bloom into something otherworldly as Naruto wound their fingers together and held their hands up to more cheers.

He noticed Tenten's smirk.

"You planned this."

Tenten shrugged.

"I don't know what you mean. Hey, big guy!" she smiled at Akamaru. "Let's go get the next set of players." She looked over her shoulder. "Nice game, Neji." And disappeared into the crowd.

"That's our girl," Kiba sighed happily before nudging Neji. "Best. Wingman. Ever."

"Neji!" Hinata was laughing as she stood in front of him. "There you are!"

"Hinata," he nodded. "Naruto. Nice game."

"I can't believe we won!" Hinata beamed. "That was fun!" she looked around. "Where's Tenten?"

"She said something about getting the next players," he glanced in the vague direction she had gone."

"Oh," a tiny frown pulled at her lips. "I wanted to tell her the good news."

Electricity skittered down Neji's spine, but he managed to ask calmly. "Good news?"

"Yeah," she blushed shyly. "I've been formally invited to live in Konoha East. And… and I decided to accept."

"Accept?" Neji's eyes went wide, his mind racing. Before he could even begin to ask her to consider what all of that implied, Naruto stepped in.

"Isn't it great?" he slung an arm around Hinata, the mischief in his eyes tinged with warning. "The only way to become a resident is through invitation, and the girls loved Hinata so much, they unanimously agreed she'd be a great addition. I've never seen a petition to the landlords go through so fast. They said to say hi to your dad, by the way," he said to Hinata. They enjoyed meeting with him last week."

"Last week?" Neji's eyes darted between them.

"Sure," Naruto continued. "We send our recommendations to the folks that own this place, and they make a point to meet with the family of the residents when it makes sense to do that. The girl's house is way stricter - Granny Tsunade is really picky - but she loved Hinata."

"I wanted you to meet them," Hinata took his hand, "But you've been so busy with school - I don't know how you managed to get the time to come tonight, but I'm so glad you did. It...It's alright if..." she hesitated. "You'll come visit me, won't you?""

And now everything made sense - the ridiculous bet Naruto cornered him into last week, the many precautions taken to get Hinata here and comfortable, the way she looked up at him with that strange mix of hope and affection that reminded him of when she was a small girl and loved him like her hero.

"Of course," he conceded with just the barest hint of a sigh.

"Thank you," Hinata beamed, her entire being alight with joy. "I really do like it here. Tonight has been fun, don't you think?" she looked around almost wistfully.

Neji did his best to ignore Naruto's goading smile and focus on his cousin. "It was definitely a new experience."

"Don't worry," Naruto squeezed Hinata's shoulder. "Bonfire season has just started! There's plenty more fun to come! I have a feeling the two of you will fit right in."

And with Hinata's hopeful "You think so?" and Naruto's "I know so," Neji felt the final pieces of Naruto's plan bolt in place around him.

Before he could interject, Ino, Sakura, and several the other girls gathered gathered around Hinata, giddy over the news. The residents of Konoha West were quick to follow, and Neji stepped back until he was on the periphery of the impromptu gaggle. Soon Hinata was scooped onto Kiba and Naruto's shoulders as a cheer erupted around her.

"She'll be okay, you know."

Neji snapped his gaze to the side, to find Tenten standing next to him, calm and unbothered as she watched her housemates toast the newest addition to Konoha East. Hinata dipped out of sight for a heartjarring second before the boys stood back up with her, clearly to her surprise.

"You sure about that?" he grumbled as the "Three Cheers for Hinata!" call started and she dipped in and out of sight.

"Yeah," she gave a small chuckle. "It'll be good for her. You'll see."

"I hope you're right," he sighed.

"I am," she shrugged. "See you around, Neji," she gave a smile, and went to join her housemates in congratulating Hinata.

"Yeah," he said to himself. "See you around."

And with that, Neji resigned himself to the inevitability of fate.

Despite all of his previous assertions to the contrary -

\- tonight would not be his final party at the Hidden Leaf.


	2. Observations vs. Assumptions

* * *

**Anthropology from a Pragmatic Point of View**   
**Chapter Two: Observation vs. Assumption**

> * * *
> 
> _"All our knowledge begins with the senses, proceeds then to the understanding, and ends with reason. There is nothing higher than reason."_  
>  ― Immanuel Kant, Critique of Pure Reason

Hinata told Neji he didn't have to help her move, but he insisted. Shortly after his first visit to Konoha West, he realized how little time he spent with his cousin, and how much she wanted to spend that time with him. To his even greater surprise, the feeling was mutual. He rediscovered how much he enjoyed Hinata's company, whether it was chatting over a cup of tea, or sharing a trip for groceries. He had arrived at his Uncle's home expecting to have to help her pack, but was surprised to find the work mostly done.

"You've been busy," he eyed his cousin and her friends.

"We have," Sakura smiled up at him, as she looped an arm around Hinata. "It helps that Hinata is so neat and organized!"

"Another reason she will be an amazing housemate," Ino added, neatly labeling a box.

"Wait until she makes you cookies," Hanabi grinned from her place on Hinata's still-made bed. "You might never want to let her leave."

"I am betting you'd fight us for custody," Sakura laughed.

"Guess that means you'll have to visit," Ino added, checking her phone. "Now you are sure we don't need to grab anything else?"

"No," Hinata shook her head. "I'm all packed."

Neji frowned. "What about your furniture?"

"This set is staying here," she nodded to her bed and dresser. "It was my mother's. It wouldn't feel right to take it with me."

"It's also stupidly heavy," Hanabi snorted. "Hinata's been saving up for a new set since she was twelve."

"There is that," Hinata smiled crookedly. "But mostly because I like the idea of having this to come home to."

"Well, do you have furniture ordered?" his frown deepened.

"It arrived at East this morning," Sakura piped up. "The guys were going to haul it up to her room so we can put it together."

"Put it together?" Neji's eyebrows shot toward his hairline. The horrors of assembling ready-made furniture flooded his imagination, complete with the frustration of time spent navigating poor directions and missing parts only to arrive at the anticlimactic, ultimately pyrrhic victory of creating a shoddy piece or workmanship valued more for the effort invested than the quality of the result.

"It will be fine, Neji," Hinata laughed gently, recognizing his distinctly Hyūga reaction. "I'll have help."

"Well, if that is everything," Ino capped her marker, "we should head back to East and get Hinata settled in. Hanabi? Are you coming with us?"

"I wish I could," her smile fell. "But I have training, and I can't compete if I miss. We'll still get together tomorrow, right?" she looked at Hinata who smiled.

"Of course."

"Well, then," Hanabi bounced off Hinata's bed. "Let's get your stuff out!"

Each of them took one of the remaining boxes, and added it to the rest of Hinata's things in the back of the small moving van parked outside of the Hyūga home. Once everything was loaded up, Neji agreed to follow the van to Konoha East. He was understandably perplexed when Ino walked with him to the car.

"I'm riding with you," she said without ceremony. "The cab is a tight squeeze for three passengers, and Sakura will go the back way. It will be easier if you have a navigator."

She didn't give Neji time to object, but he suspected that even if she had, the outcome would be no different.

He buckled his seatbelt and tossed Ino a sidelong glance as she sent a quick message and then tucked her phone away.

"I'm guessing you aren't one for small talk?" she watched Sakura pull out ahead of them.

"I can't say I enjoy it," he admitted, giving Sakura some space before following.

"So, shall I spare you the trouble and tell you what I know?"

"About?"

"You."

"Me?" he chuckled. "What could you possibly know about me?"

"Not much," she sat back in her seat. "Just that you are a highly structured individual who likes to be in charge of his surroundings. You're organized, neat, and punctual, dislike having your time wasted, and strive for efficiency. You are fastidious with your personal upkeep, and I suspect at least a little bit vain about your good looks and, in particular, your hair, which is amazing by the way. You appreciate and can afford the finer things, but you take good care of your possessions and do not take them for granted. This shows a respect for the labor that goes into securing the possessions, which tells me you work hard. You are also proud of your family, and standoffish. Definitely have a personal space bubble and don't-bother-me vibe going on. Family can get closer – Hinata is important to you. Speaking of, you aren't completely on board with Hinata's choice to live at East, but you trust her enough to overlook your misgivings. You are also not thrilled about Naruto, but you believe he cares enough about Hinata to put her first – which means you are giving him a chance to earn your trust or get pummeled. You are not interested in romantic attachments or anything that takes time from your studies, and we wouldn't be speaking at all if it wasn't for Hinata. You hate pumpkin, but love Bach cello suites, so we can listen to one for the rest of the ride, because I am betting one is in your CD player right now."

Neji blinked at the road, reached over to his consul, and hit 'play.'

As the sounds of Bach's Cello Suite No 1 in G Major filled the car, Ino sat back with a triumphant smile.

It was several moments before Neji asked, "Did Hinata tell you all of that?"

"She told me about the pumpkin and Bach, but honestly, I would have guessed the second part. You seem like one who would appreciate Baroque strings and Romantic piano."

"I have Vivaldi, Liszt, and Chopin as well," he admitted.

"Paganini?"

"Naturally."

"Ah," her eyes sparkled. "A thing for prodigies, then?"

"Perhaps."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"So if not for Hinata," he checked his mirrors as he switched lanes. "how did you come to all of these conclusions?"

"I'm good at reading people," she shrugged. "It is part of why I decided to study psychology."

"You will go into counseling?"

"Unless I follow after dad."

"And he is?"

Her grin was wicked.

"A criminal profiler."

He half smiled. "You would be good at the job."

"I'm also a good friend," she said, her tone a bit more serious. "And I make it a point to never let anyone treat my friends poorly. I just want you to know I am good at seeing beyond the motivations of others, and I will keep an eye out for Hinata. We all will."

"That is… reassuring to hear."

The rest of the ride was spent in companionable silence, and Neji thanked her when they pulled up to Konoha East.

"I am glad to know that Hinata has someone else watching out for her," he admitted. "Now. How are you at assembling furniture?"

"Don't worry about that," she grinned as they crossed to the van. "I have a feeling we won't be needed."

Sakura insisted they all go inside before they unpack the van, and they brought Hinata up to her room. She startled on the stairs when they heard a loud voice from inside her room.

"Yeah, yeah!" a male voice groaned. "Right there. Ugggh - SO TIGHT!"

"Kankurō," a voice sighed. "Will you just stop."

Sakura poked her head in the door. "He up to his usual routine?"

"Of course," Tenten opened the door fully. "Ignore him, Hinata," she rolled her eyes.

"Aw, c'mon!" Kankurō stood up with a wrench in hand. "That never gets old!"

Hinata blinked widely as she looked past them.

"You… you put together my furniture," she whispered in awe.

"Piece of cake," Kankurō shrugged, tucking his wrench into his hoodie pocket. "Figured this way, you guys could just focus on getting your room together. We just finished the dresser. Bed's already put together. Wasn't sure which sheets, so we just put on your mattress protector. And…, hey," his eyes widened. "Are you… are you crying?" Absolute panic washed over Kankurō's face as he turned to Tenten. "She's crying. Is this a happy thing? She's happy, right?"

Hinata wiped her eyes with a smile. "Thank you so much," she beamed. "This was so nice of you!"

Kankurō exhaled in relief. "Take it easy, 'Ro" Tenten elbowed him. "Pick up your tools, and we'll go get the boxes."

"Right," he moved quickly, clearly unnerved by the Hinata's tears. "I'll go get boxes," he gave a half wave as he slipped by and jogged down the hall.

Tenten patted Hinata's shoulder. "Don't mind him. That reaction will make much more sense once you meet his sister. So?" she pulled her into the room. "What do you think?"

Hinata's face was damp with tears, but her smile was brilliant. "It's perfect!"

"Is everything where you want it?" Tenten asked, eyeing the furniture. "It will be much harder to move once the dresser has clothes in it.

Hinata insisted everything was fine, but Tenten put sliders under the furniture in case she changed her mind. Kankurō came back up the stairs, followed by Naruto, Kiba, Chōji, and Shikamaru. Inside of fifteen minutes, all of Hinata's belongings were out of the van, and into her room. Within the next hour and a bit, the girls had gotten her all moved in, and Chōji finished making dinner for everyone.

Neji accepted the invitation to stay for dinner, and joined Hinata and her friends as they pulled several tables together in the large dining hall. As he looked around the table, he was struck by how genuinely happy Hinata was, and how much the other residents seemed to like her.

"She'll do well here, you know," Ino said quietly at his side. "This will be good for her."

"You are not the first person to mention that," he allowed, his eyes skating to Tenten, who was deep in conversation with Kiba. "In nearly those exact words."

Ino's eyes followed his, and she nodded. "We all think so," she agreed. "And you don't know us all enough to know it yet, but if Tenten says things will be alright, you can pretty much bank on it."

"Oh?"

Ino nodded. "She doesn't usually offer her opinions unless asked. If she goes out of her way to tell you something, it must be nothing less than the truth. And I am doubly sure since I am of the same opinion," her smile danced. "So, it is practically a certainty!"

"So, I see," Neji's tone was amused. "I would say that I hope you are right, but I see that you are actively taking steps to make it so… and for that, I thank you."

"Careful, Neji," Ino's smile was teasing. "If you ever dropped that complicated syntax, a girl might notice how charming you can be."

"I'll bear that in mind."

Soon enough, the evening was over.

As Konoha East disappeared in his rear-view mirror, Neji's mind began to wander. His interactions with Ino had left him pleasantly surprised; he had assumed she would be more… what? Self-centered? Shallow? Ruefully, he admitted his assumptions had been preemptive and unfounded. It seemed that there were lessons to be learned from the residents of the Hidden Leaf, than how to survive a party.

Perhaps - just perhaps - this new social exposure would have redeeming qualities after all.

* * *

_*Yes, Neji's car still has a multi-CD player. He does not want to have his ability to listen to music affected by the whims of data coverage. He's a bit old-mannish that way._


	3. Means vs. End

_*.*!_

* * *

**Anthropology from a Pragmatic Point of View**   
**Chapter Three: Means vs. End**

* * *

_Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never merely as a means to an end, but always at the same time as an end."_  
― Immanuel Kant, Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals/On a Supposed Right to Lie Because of Philanthropic Concerns

Neji's education about The Hidden Leaf continued.

He now knew: Konoha East was owned by Lady Tsunade - a trailblazing surgeon in Konoha and former president of the medical school - while Konoha West was owned by Jiraiya. They'd been childhood friends - more if the rumors were to be believed, since the passing of Tsunade's husband when she was still young - and this property had once belonged to her grandparents. Over the years, they rented more toward older collegiates, and grad students, and never to freshman. Neji was surprised that so many of the tenants were involved in graduate work.

"Well what did you expect," Hanabi asked, recopying her notes. "They're all just about your age, after all - even if they didn't all skip grades and all of that stuff."

"I didn't skip grades," Neji corrected her. "I took an insanely heavy class load."

"And still managed to get into grad school early," she huffed. "Yes. I know. Now either help us mere mortals with our homework or go be smart somewhere else. "

Naturally, Neji had helped.

There was very little he wouldn't do when it came to making his cousins happy, whether it was taking an evening to help his cousin with a complicated assignment, or attending another party at Konoha West

"Hyūga," Kiba nodded to him. "How's that drink?"

"Surprisingly pleasant," he admitted, studying the lidded travel mug Hinata had provided him. "I would have thought spiced cider would be too sweet.'

"Yeah, well, the rum helps," Kiba snorted. "Or did you skip that step?"

"I did not," Neji's lips twitched up slightly, "but I am certain I did not make it as strong as some."

"Some people are pretty stupid about that," Kiba agreed, "which is why we used to have someone babysit the cider bar, until Shikamaru and Kankuro engineered those opticals on the liquor bottles. They'll only dispense so much. Kankurō added some facial recognition or some shit, because he's way extra when he makes anything, and they won't give one person too much at a time or too much through the night."

"That is rather ingenious."

"Yeah, those two are always coming up with something. Welp, I'm gonna go mingle. See ya, Neji!"

Neji sipped his drink, enjoying the warmth roiling in his bones as he absently scanned the crowd for Hinata.

Perpetually cold, he found her standing near the fire, her hands buried in the front pocket of a large sweatshirt. He eyed the shirt, and decided it wasn't hers - which meant it was Naruto's. Naruto appeared next to her in a similar hoodie, handing her a thermal cup, which she took gratefully.

"Ugh, she's so _lucky_ ," a girl behind him pouted. "Where did she even _come_ from? One day she just shows up and it's like all Naruto sees at these parties. It's so unfair!"

The last word was punctuated with a petulant stomp of the foot.

"Maybe we should push her into the lake," the other muttered, earning a wicked giggle from her friend.

"You want to?"

Neji turned just in time to see them both jump when the person behind them said:

"I wouldn't suggest it."

"Sakura!" one of them put a hand to her heart. "Hi! We were just-"

"I know what you were 'just'," Sakura crossed her arms. "And I expect better of you Kaede. You, too, Akane."

"Sorry," they chorused.

"Don't apologize to me," she snorted. "Try turning around and apologizing to her cousin."

Neji would forever remember their mirrored mortification at finding him behind them, and the way they visibly paled. (He was later told they thought he was the scariest and most beautiful man they'd ever seen, but it was years before they could be within twenty feet of him without being terrified.)

"Ladies," he lifted his cup in a mock salute.

"We're sorry!" they squeaked as their words tumbled over one another.

"We wouldn't have-No, no We wouldn't! - We couldn't - we"

Neji held up a hand and they clattered to silence.

"I will accept your apology, with the understanding that you will keep a healthy distance from my cousin. Should anything happen to her, you will be the first place I look."

Akane looked between them. "You… you won't tell Naruto, will you?"

Sakura arched an eyebrow at them. "Will I have reason to mention it to him ever?"

"No," Kaede grabbed Akane's arm. "In fact, we were just leaving, weren't we?"

"Yeah," Akane agreed, eyes still wide and troubled. "Th...thanks for the party!"

The girls hurried off, leaving Sakura to shake her head.

"Sorry about them," she gave Neji a wry, tired smile. "They've been crushing on Naruto for ages, but he never had someone around to make them jealous."

"And you really think they won't be a problem?"

"They won't be," she looked off to where they were still mid-retreat. "They're good kids; just young and silly and jealous. They're allowed to make their stupid mistakes - it's part of growing up."

"As long as their mistakes don't extend to infringing upon my cousin's well-being, I can agree with that."

"It won't," she laughed. "In about ten minutes they'll realize how disappointed Naruto would be if they'd done something to Hinata, and feel really awful. I don't think we'll see them around for a while, but when we do, they'll probably go out of their way to be overly nice to Hinata."

"We'll see," Neji grimaced.

"If they try anything, I'll be right there to help you set them straight," she promised. "I'll even let you be the one to push them into the lake."

A smile twitched Neji's lips.

"It's a deal."

* * *

_The quote in the beginning is sometimes paraphrased as_ “Treat people as an end, and never as a means to an end." _A good lesson in general, no? Thank you for reading!_


	4. Favor of the Few

_*.*!_

* * *

**Anthropology from a Pragmatic Point of View**  
**Chapter Four: Favor of the Few**

* * *

_"_ _Seek not the favor of the multitude; it is seldom got by honest and lawful means. But seek the testimony of few; and number not voices, but weigh them."_  
-Immanuel Kant

_._

"Neji!" Hinata beamed. "You're here!"

"As requested," he stepped into the front door of Konoha West. "Although I still don't know why."

"Come see," she tugged him through to the kitchen. Chōji lifted a beefy hand in a friendly wave before turning his attention back to piping delicate flowers onto parchment paper.

"What is all of this?" Neji looked around the kitchen, confused.

"It's for Hanabi," she beamed. "She got her letters - accepted with scholarships!"

Neji's smile was genuine. "That's wonderful news!"

"Father is surprising her with a small party on Sunday - and Chōji agreed to help me with the cake."

"So I see," he chuckled. "Where do I fit in?"

"We're," she shot a glance at Chōji who encouraged her with a small nod. "We're making Grandmother's wishing cake...and… and I wanted you to make your wish."

Neji's face softened.

"I didn't think anyone still had that recipe."

"I found some of her notes - Chōji figured out the rest. Please say you'll stay and help," her eyes were wide. "It would mean so much."

Neji smiled.

"Of course."

The other roommates had been baffled as to why they had to come over and make a wish while stirring the batter and dropping in a charm, but they were all game. By the time Hinata called Neji, she just needed a couple more people to make their wish.

Neji nodded to the spoon. "Are we all that is left?"

"We still need Tenten," Hinata gnawed on her lip and looked to Chōji. "Should I go get her?"

"No," Chōji shook his head "I'll get Kiba."

"You'll get Kiba what?" Kiba asked, going straight for a plate of cookies and taking one. "Ohmigod Hinata marry me," he groaned.

"Chōji made those," she giggled.

"Offer stands, big guy," Kiba took another one. "These are awesome."

"Good to know,' Chōji grinned. "Can you send Akamaru up? Tenten needs to come stir the cake."

"Akamaru," Kiba jerked a thumb up the stairs. "You heard my wife. Go get Tenten."

Neji looked to Hinata. "Is Tenten alright?"

"She's fine," Kiba waved his concerns away. "But she likes her space. No one goes to her room unless it is literally a matter of life and death. We all just send Akamaru. Safer that way."

Neji frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Man, I hope you never find out," Kiba snorted. "But imagine her playing beer pong but with something sharp and deadly, and you are the cup."

Neji arched an eyebrow. "Don't follow."

The conversation stilled as Tenten's light footfall could be heard coming down the stairs.

"Hey," she greeted them. "Akamaru says you need me?"

Hinata quickly explained the situation, and Tenten agreed to stir the cake. "I'm guessing we follow standard wishing protocol? Don't tell or it won't come true?"

"Right," Hinata giggled.

"Well, then, I'd better get back to work. See you guys!"

Tenten disappeared up the stairs, and for the first time in his life, Neji wondered what someone else's bedroom looked like.


	5. Gaining Knowledge

_*.*!_

* * *

**Anthropology from a Pragmatic Point of View**  
**Chapter Five: Gaining Knowledge**

* * *

_"It is beyond a doubt that all our knowledge begins with experience."_ _  
―_ _**Immanuel Kant** _

It turned out that bonfires were a weekly affair at Konoha west - at least during the regular football season. Neji didn't go to all of them, but he had gone to several.

"You've come to enough to get a fan club," Ino told him as he sat with Hinata, having a cup of tea at Konoha East.

"Fan club?" he arched an eyebrow.

"You mean you hadn't noticed?"

"Not particularly, no."

"I can't tell you how many people have asked me about the serious and seriously gorgeous preppy guy that has started coming to parties."

Neji frowned.

"Preppy?"

"Yeah, sorry, Neji," Ino shrugged. "You are definitely preppy. Gorgeous, too. Runs in your family," she grinned at Hinata, who flushed prettily with the compliment.

"Hinata, I'll grant you," he agreed. "I can't say I agree with the rest."

"Please," Ino snorted, "You know how good looking you are - I'm not going to elaborate. Just beware - the natives get bolder as the days roll by."

Her warning was forgotten until later that month. He'd just finished a massive project and an equally massive exam, and had no classes the following Monday. Feeling strangely adrift with no looming deadlines (and a rare lack of drive) he welcomed Hinata's invitation to join them that evening. He decided he would spend some time with his cousin - who, he had to admit, was adjusting to life at Konoha East beautifully - and then go home for a good night's rest.

At least, that had been the plan.

Neji had forgotten that Konoha played Suna that week.

The Konoha/Suna rivalry was longstanding, and was arguably the biggest game of the season. So many alumni traveled for that game, that it was the unofficial homecoming event of the year. Neji had been so embroiled in his project and exam, he'd essentially lost contact with the outside world. It hadn't even dawned on him when he noticed the higher-than normal traffic and decided to take the metro rather than drive. (Given his fatigue, he thought it best he not be in charge of a motor vehicle.)

The line he took from his quiet neighborhood to Hidden Leaf wasn't the same as the one going to the game, so he'd had no tip-off on his journey.

His first clue had been when he walked the fifteen minutes from the metro stop toward Hidden Leaf, and saw the cars lining the streets.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. The message from Hinata was short and sweet.

' _Come down to East - have a surprise!_ '

Neji wound his way down the path to Konoha East, mildly alarmed by how many people were there.

"There you are!" Hinata beamed, looping her arm through his. "Come with me!"

He followed blindly, allowing his fatigue to blur the cacophony of too many unfamiliar people into white noise. It took him a moment to realize Hinata was leading him toward the stairs, but was immediately grateful at the drop off in sound as they made their way to her room on the second floor.

"Naruto is on his way up, too," her cheeks were flushed with excitement.

She pushed open the door and motioned for him to enter ahead of her. There, sitting crosslegged on Hinata's bed, and proudly sporting a "Konoha University" hoodie, was Hanabi.

"Surprise!" she waved.

"Hanabi? What are you doing here?"

"Well, since I'm going to be going here next year, Dad said it was alright if I came to tonight's party as Hinata's guest."

"Your father?" he blinked. "Agreed to let you come here?!"

"Well, agreed might be an over-exaggeration," Hanabi grinned. "I might've conned him into letting me spend a weekend with Hinata without explicitly reminding him what weekend it was. And he might've been still been in a good mood from my scholarship letters."

Neji's grin was proud and sudden.

"Letters?"

"Several," her grin matched his. "Full ride. Honors program, and student athlete. I'll be in the honors dorm, and I'm being recruited for the taijutsu program."

"Well done, Hanabi," Neji said warmly, making his cousin flush with pleasure.

The knock on Hinata's door was quick and low.

"'Nata?"

Hinata hurried to open the door, smiling up at Naruto.

"Hey," he gave a sheepish wave. "Sorry it took a minute to get over here; his ride got delayed."

"Yeah, sorry," a young man stepped in behind Naruto. "My fault. I'm Konohamaru," he extended a hand to Hinata. "Hinata, right?"

"Right," she shook his hand, surprised when he handed her a small, wrapped box. "What is this?"

"Just something small," he gave a shy grin. "I visited my Uncle earlier today, and it turns out his wife knows you. She asked me to bring that by."

Hinata's smile broadened as she read the card. "I didn't know Kurenai was your aunt," she beamed. "Small world."

"Yeah," he chuckled.

"What are the odds, right?" Naruto did a palms up. "My sorta-kid brother's aunt was Hinata's teacher." He caught sight of Hanabi. "Oh, hey!" he grinned. "You must be Hanabi!"

Hanabi blinked rapidly, shaking herself out of a daze. "Yeah - and you are Naruto?"

"In person," he chuckled. "So!" he clapped his hands together. "Are you all ready for your first Suna bonfire night?"

"Second," Konohamaru corrected. "But absolutely." He gave Hanabi a mischievous grin. "He tell you about the lake?"

"Lake?" Neji frowned, flashing back to the conversation with Kaede and Amaya. "What lake?"

"The one on the edge of the property," Konohamaru's grin got wider. "There's a tradition of everyone jumping in on the night of the Suna game. It's kinda gross, but it's tradition."

"Not everyone does it," Naruto was quick to assure them. "It's something that started on campus before our parents were students, but when they renovated the campus, they got rid of the small lake. One of them moved here, and brought the tradition with them."

"Sounds fairly stupid," Neji snorted. "Not to mention unsafe."

"That's what Tsunade told them," Naruto grinned. "But one of the residents was an engineer. He basically got together with some other housemates, and they made a shallower side pond that we flood annually with their lock and dam system."

Neji's eyebrows skated upward. "That is quite the undertaking just to engage in something silly."

"Yeah," Naruto grinned. "But they did it. We filled the pond last night - it's less gross than jumping straight in the lake, but we suggest people still change clothes."

"They sell t-shirts," Konohamaru smirked. "Proceeds go to the shelter in town."

"Nothing around here is simple, is it?" Hanabi shook her head.

"Traditions almost never are," Konohamaru philosophized.

By the time they got down to the bonfires - there were several around the pond - Neji thought Konohamaru's words were particularly apt. There were large groups of people already set up - some clearly alumni - at a table with hot chocolate - another with towels, shirts, and other things.

"At least it didn't snow this year," Kiba grinned. "That wasn't nearly as fun."

"And you still jumped?"

"Sure," Kiba shrugged. "It's tradition!"

Neji was the one shaking his head that time, but Hanabi looked intrigued.

"Oh, hey!" Kiba blinked. "Hanabi, right? Hinata's little sister?"

Hanabi looked confused until the large, white dog pressed into her side affectionately. "You're Akamaru," she smiled, burying a gloved hand in his fur. "So that makes you Kiba?"

"That's me," Kiba grinned broadly, turning to Hinata. "I trust you told her I am the most awesome housemate at Konoha West?"

Hinata smiled fondly while Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Just kidding," Kiba grinned. "Akamaru is easily the most awesome. You get the tour yet?"

Hanabi blinked. "Tour?"

"Slackers," Kiba pointed to Naruto and Hinata. "You're officially relieved of duty, and Chōji was looking for you anyway, 'Nata. C'mon, Hanabi. I'll fill you in. Squirt, you come with us."

"Konohamaru," he muttered.

"House rules," Kiba shrugged. "If I ever had to babysit you or change your cousin's diapers, I get to call you Squirt."

"We'll all head to the house together," Hinata interjected, diffusing everything with kindness. And that was how Neji found himself trying to find a space not crowded by people at Konoha West. Even the library - a room Shikamaru had tipped him off to early on that was rarely frequented by others - had people just about everywhere.

"Hey!" one of the guests hissed to his friend. "Get your feet off that table. You want Tenten to see?"

"Sorry, man," he dropped his feet to the floor. "Forgot."

Neji hid a smile at that - it appeared Tenten's reputation was fearsome indeed.

"Hey there," a voice chirped at his shoulder. He turned to find several girls behind him – two behind their bolder friend, who was tucking her hair behind her ear as she spoke. "Neji, right?"

"I'm Neji," he said coolly. "Have we met?"

"Not yet," she smiled. "My name is –"

"There you are," Shikamaru appeared at his elbow. "I've been looking for you." he looked to the trio of girls. "Everyone is heading down to the lake, soon. Naho, will you make sure everyone here picks up before they go? It's troublesome to come back to a mess."

"Sure," she flicked her eyes between Shikamaru and Neji, clearly weighing her options.

"Thanks," he gave her a rare smile before directing Neji to follow him out of the library and down the hall.

"You alright, Hyūga?"

"Fine," he said, wincing as someone laughed too loud. "Thanks for the intervention. I do not care for crowds, and am not really in the mood to widen my circle of acquaintances."

"You picked the wrong night to be here, then. Here," he fished something out of his pocket and handed it to him. "Third floor. Last door on the right."

Neji glanced at the key in his hand and back to Shikamaru.

"Didn't think I was your type."

"Believe me, you're not," he snorted. "It's not my room - just a safe place to get away. The rest of us took a vote; you're on the okay list to use it."

"There was a vote?"

"After the first time you visited. We've been around long enough to know when there's blood in the water. Speaking of – everyone will move to the lake soon. Stay behind the last ring of heaters if you don't want to get caught up in the crowd."

Neji pocketed the key. "Then I shall stop by the kitchens to check on Hinata and go back outside. The space will help."

Shikamaru nodded and headed back into the crowd, leaving Neji to negotiate his way to the kitchen. The house was so crowded, he barely made it close enough to tell Hinata he'd see her outside before escaping outside into the cool, crisp air.

Neji took a deep breath and filled his lungs to bursting before blowing out a cleansing breath and making his way toward the lake. Kiba, Hanabi, and Konohamaru caught up with him at the pavilion with the outdoor fireplace – close enough to see the action at the lake, but far enough away to be less crowded.

"Oo, its warmer over here," Hanabi grinned. "Less crowded, too."

Neji hummed his agreement, eying the stretch of lawn between them and the growing excitement near the lake. "Those are new," he nodded to the smattering of commercial patio heaters.

"We have an alumni that provides those and sets them up," Kiba nodded. "They'll be here until the end of the season."

"That is rather generous."

"Well, you might have noticed that Tsunade and Jiraiya are pretty picky about who gets into this place. Lots of our previous tenants have done really well for themselves; it's kind of an extended family."

"So, how come Tenten isn't at Konoha East?" Hanabi asked suddenly.

"Just how it worked out," Kiba shrugged. "Good thing, too," he lowered his voice conspiratorially, forcing Hanabi to lean in. "Aside from Hinata, she's the only one that can make Naruto mind his mess."

Hanabi's smile curved wickedly.

"So. Naruto?"

Kiba's eyes glinted with mischief. "That could be a month-long tour, but I can give you the highlights."

"Hanabi," Neji warned.

"Oh, like you didn't do the same thing," she waved him off. "Let's go by the lake," she jerked her chin toward the other half of the party, "and the two of you can tell me more about the boy that is drooling over my sister."

Kiba threw back his head and laughed. "Oh, man," he grinned down at her. "I'm gonna like you. You definitely get my vote for East in a few years. Neji? You coming?"

"Is it any information I haven't heard?"

"Probably not."

"Then I am fine where I am."

"Suit yourself. C'mon, Hanabi. Konohamaru - chime in as needed."

Neji watched them go with less trepidation than he thought he might feel over the situation, and reminded himself to compare notes with Hanabi later.

More people arrived, but Neji didn't mind as long as he was outside and under an open sky. He found himself enjoying the feeling of solitude that comes with being surrounded by, yet detached from a crowd of one's own choosing - and he had to admit he chose to be here. That realization had become less begrudging over time, and although Neji was not taking up residence at either Konoha West or East, he did find himself visiting more often than he would have ever thought possible.

Deciding it would be interesting to see what the vendors were selling, Neji wandered further into the crowd, and treated himself to a hot cup of cider. He could not abide pumpkin anything, but apples he tolerated well enough.

He was just finishing his drink when he noticed Tenten a few paces away, listening as another member of her group told a story with great animation

He tipped his head to the side and considered her.

She was very much a part of the Hidden Leaf group, and yet she always seemed to stand apart.

" _She knows how to be alone,"_ he thought, and the idea resonated with him.

He started as she caught his eye, and gave a small, quick salute, the corner of her lips twitched upward in amusement. A faint smile tugging at his own mouth, Neji began to file through the crowd, intent on approaching her - and not noticing that he strayed beyond the line of the heaters. That is something he registered too late - as someone blared an airhorn, and a swarm of people hurried forward, and Neji was caught up with them, even as he saw Tenten cover her mouth (whether in horror or amusement, he couldn't say) before trying to point and yell a warning.

Instinctively he knew it was too late, and his panic slid into something grimly accepting as total strangers linked their arms in his, and jumped into the water.


	6. Reasonable Questions

_*.*!_

* * *

**Anthropology from a Pragmatic Point of View**   
**Chapter Six: Reasonable Questions**

* * *

_"Human reason has the peculiar fate ... that it is burdened with questions that it cannot dismiss ... but which it also cannot answer."_

_― **Immanuel Kant**_

To say he was miserable would be an understatement.

Naruto had spotted him with a flustered, "Oh, shit!" and sloshed over to him, helping pull him out of the lake. Unfortunately, he was one of about 100 others being jostled along the bank and trying to get to dryer ground, and he quickly got swallowed in the swarming throng of people.

He was just about to run back toward the lake to escape when he felt a warmed blanket being draped around his shoulders as someone began to push him forward.

"Come on," Tenten braced an arm around his back. "Let's get you back to West."

With a singular determination, she steered him through the jumping, cheering, and (as far as Neji was concerned) absolutely insane people while he halfheartedly looked for Hinata and Hanabi.

"The girls are fine," she spoke loudly over the noise, tugging him to the side and out of the way of some careless revelers, her eyes darting over the crowd. "Ino made sure they were somewhere they'd stay dry."

Neji could only nod dumbly, certain any attempt to speak would devolve into an unintelligible chattering of teeth.

The sea of people ebbed as they neared the house, and Tenten had to do far less glaring to get them through the crowds. She stopped short, though, when she noticed a small group near the back entrance. She swore softly under her breath and scanned the area.

"Did Shikamaru give you your key?"

Neji nodded.

"Good. Head in through the side door there," she pointed. "Go right up to the third floor, last door on the right. Lock it behind you, ok? I'll meet you up there." She glanced over her shoulder. "You'd better hurry – the party is going to make its way back here."

A quick glance over his shoulder told him that she was right, and with a parting nod, he hurried to follow her directions.

Neji, who had officially exceeded his threshold for dealing with other people, hurried up the stairs as best he was able, and made his way to the third floor, last door on the right. His fingers were cold and clumsy, but he did manage to get the door unlocked and then re-locked behind him.

He sighed as the door clicked shut – it was much quieter in this small space. Warmer, too. He stood in the small entry way and saw one end of the hall led to a door, and the other to a quiet sitting room. Since his key failed to open the other door, he made his way into the warm room and looked around appreciatively. Hinata would have called the place 'cozy' with its overstuffed couch and books, and basket full of blankets. A small space heater hummed in the corner, and he went to it eagerly, suddenly feeling very cold and tired. That was how Tenten found him – blanket clutched around his shoulders, and hands outstretched for warmth.

She stood with her arms crossed over her over-sized hoodie and considered him.

"You look miserable."

"A fair statement," he tightened the blanket around him as a shiver skittered down his spine.

"Didn't anyone warn you about staying behind the heaters?"

He glared at her, and she chuckled lightly.

"Sorry – that was unhelpful. C'mon. Let's get you dried off."

He followed her down the hall to the locked door, surprised when the door revealed another small set of stairs.

"That is different," he said, pleased to note he didn't chatter.

"This used to be the servant's quarters," she said, heading up the stairs. "It'll lock behind you," she added over her shoulder.

"I thought there were only three floors of rooms," he offered, his voice bouncing in the narrow dark of the stairwell.

"We don't count this level," she shrugged. "At the time this house was built, there were back stairs that went from the room you were just in down to the kitchens. The staff would have lived in the attic where it would've been hottest in the summer and coldest in the winter. Luckily," she paused at the top of the stairs. "That is no longer the case." She disappeared into the darkness even as Neji reached the top stair. The room was cool and dark, and he had a momentary sense of stepping into nothing but night.

"Stay put," she said, presumably over her shoulder as she walked away from him. There was the nostalgic sound of a lamp pull chain being tugged and retracted, even as the ancient reading lamp blinked to life, illuminating a corner bookshelf and a comfortable looking chair.

"Hope you don't mind," she crossed to another corner and reached up to the faux hurricane lamp suspended by a chain, and twisted the metal key, bringing another lamp to light - this one hanging over a secretary desk. "These are left from when there were no overhead lights up here. I like them better."

"On the contrary," he watched as she walked over to a far wall. "I find it to be quite soothing."

"Me, too," she smiled. "Although this is my favorite part." She aimed the remote control at the wall, and a gas fireplace flicked to life. At his look of mistrust, she gave a light laugh. "Don't worry. They re-did this level a few years back, so everything is up to code and safe."

She made her way toward the other end of the room, leaving Neji to look around the re-finished attic. The exposed beams of the old rafters had been preserved, and there was a surprising amount of room.

"What are those stairs?" he asked, nodding to the small, tight staircase in the corner, that curved out of sight.

"They used to go up to the widow's walk," she said absently, putting a large totebag (in the same Konoha green as her hoodie) on the desk and beginning to sort through the contents.

"Catch," she tossed him a silver tumbler which he caught easily. "Figured you'd need a spill proof lid until you warm up. Drink up."

"What is it?"

"Green tea," she went back to sorting. "If you need something stronger, you can have it after you shower."

"Shower?" Neji blinked. "Why would I shower?"

"Because you just went swimming in the lake?" she snorted. "You can't tell me you aren't completely skeeved out by the whole ordeal."

Neji's grimace was answer enough.

"That's what I thought. Here," she handed him the tote bag. "I keep a stash of clothes around for when my family visits. I raided the supply closet for a new comb, toothbrush, etc. Towels are in the bathroom. Put all your wet things including the blanket in the laundry basket and put it outside of the door. I'll get everything in the wash while you shower."

"That isn't necessary."

"Have you ever smelled dried-off lake clothes?"

Neji sighed his defeat.

"Where is the restroom?"

Her smile was one of triumph as she led him to the surprisingly large and well-lit bathroom.

"Take your time," she had one hand on the restroom door. "No one can come up here but me, but lock it anyway. I always do."

Neji stood very, very still.

"I thought his was just another one of your hidden common areas."

"It might be some years," she shrugged. "But as the only girl resident, Tsunade thought it would be best if I had the space to myself."

"This….this is your room."

"Technically my room is up there," she jerked a thumb toward the spiral staircase in the corner. "But yeah, close enough."

Neji looked puzzled.

"But… but no one comes up to your room."

Tenten shrugged. "Desperate times, my friend. Now get cleaned up. I'll wait until I hear water running to check back for the laundry."

"Why?"

He met her eyes squarely, and he was surprised to find that while there was no hesitation there, there was also no discernable motive.

"I am Hinata's friend," she shrugged. "And Naruto's. And you looked spectacularly pathetic when they fished you out of the lake. Seemed like a good idea at the time."

He studied her a moment longer, and when he decided no other reasoning was forthcoming, he asked "I realize how highly you value your privacy. Is it alright for me to be here?"

Her smile was small, and perhaps a bit tired. "Provided you don't start snooping in all of my stuff or use up all of my shampoo, its fine, Neji."

"Then… thank you, Tenten."

"You're welcome. See you in a bit." She stepped away from the door, pausing only long enough to toss him a smile over her shoulder, that he caught somewhere between his heart and his lungs.

Neji closed the door, locked it on the inside, and blushed.


	7. Balancing the Odds

_*.*!_

* * *

**Anthropology from a Pragmatic Point of View**   
**Chapter Seven: Balancing the Odds**

* * *

_""Heaven has given human beings three things to balance the odds of life: hope, sleep, and laughter."  
― **Immanuel Kant**_

Once he caught sight of himself in the mirror, Neji couldn't fault Tenten for assuming he needed a shower. He'd neatly laid the clothes from the tote bag out, and raised an eyebrow at the unopened pack of men's boxer briefs in that same vibrant green.

"Is everything green here?" he asked no one in particular.

A shiver sliced through him, and he hurried to get out of his wet things. As instructed, he neatly piled his folded clothes into the laundry basket (And held his breath as he quickly placed it outside of the door but there was no one there) and put the emptied contents of his pockets into the totebag for safe keeping. Pleased that his phone's case had protected it, he paused only long enough to reply to Hinata's text and assure her she was fine before stepping into the bliss of a hot shower.

Much to his surprise, the water pressure was excellent, and the bath products provided were minimally scented. Fatigue seeped into his bones as the steam rose in the air, but he did not dawdle to indulge in the comforts around him. He finished and dressed quickly, grateful for the clothing, and belatedly grateful that he hadn't had to borrow Naruto's underwear (because he wouldn't have, and he would've had to remain in his own uncomfortable garments, and it would've been a trying experience to say the least.)

He emerged bathroom, dressed with a towel draped over his shoulders to keep his hair from soaking through his borrowed t-shirt, with tote bag in hand. Tenten was sitting at the old secretary desk, writing. When he entered the room, she closed the notebook she was writing in, and looked up with a smile.

"Better?"

"Much, thank you."

"Your clothes are in the wash," she tucked the notebook in the desk and closed the lid. "You are welcome to head downstairs, or stay up here until you can go back down in your own clothes."

"I hate to intrude."

"It's no bother," she shrugged. "However," she leaned back in her seat and studied him. "You may want to stick with your current look. No one would ever guess it was you – especially if you put the hoodie I grabbed on."

"Tempting," he chuckled, "And not as uncomfortable as I might have thought."

"You and my brother are close in size," she nodded to his clothes. "He's deployed right now, but when he is home, he is usually pressed for time. I keep things here for him to make it easier for him to visit."

"I didn't know," he blinked, toweling his hair.

"That's him," she nodded to the mantel. Neji wandered closer to see a framed, formal army photo, next to several others – one of which was Tenten and her brother covered in mud but proudly holding up some kind of medal.

Neji looked curiously at the photo. "Older or younger?"

"Older. By four months."

Neji was too polite to ask, so she added, "We're both adopted."

"It sounds like you are close."

"Very," she said, her eyes on her brother's picture, her voice warm. She considered him, a tiny line between her eyebrows. "You sound tired."

"I am," he surprised himself in admitting. "It has been a long day."

"Mm," she nodded to herself. "Help me."

She strode to the double papasan on the opposing wall, and he followed. They pulled it closer to the fireplace, and she nodded to it.

"Get in."

Neji frowned at the furniture. "I'm not sure I know how."

"Here," she sat in the middle then curled into the corner. "Like this."

He continued to stare, so she stared back.

With a sigh, Neji sat gingerly on the middle, and carefully adjusted himself to occupy the other corner. Tenten watched, but did not laugh, as he settled into the seat, but did not curl up like she did.

"Not bad," he allowed.

Tenten tapped his leg as she stood up. "Stretch out."

His single, arched eyebrow had an unexpected effect. She laughed.

Her smile was bright and transformative, and Neji was taken aback by how different it made her look.

"I won't let you fall," she held the side of the papasan. "Stretch out and get comfy."

Neji tentatively adjusted himself until he felt he was at least secure on the furniture. Tenten had him lean forward as she put a pillow behind his back, which instantly made him more comfortable.

"There," her eyes danced. "I recognize that look. Here." She tossed a blanket over his legs.  
Better?"

"Quite comfortable," he agreed. "Although, I am not certain I can get out of this thing by myself."

"It takes practice," she shrugged. "But you don't need to worry about it right now. You look like you are going to drop over, and the metro is massively busy tonight. Take a rest, and I can run you home when I leave for the airport."

"Airport?" he blinked, his eyes growing heavy. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Just dropping someone off."

"It's not exactly on the way."

"That's alright," she shrugged. "I'm always up for a night drive. It helps me clear my head."

"I don't want to impose," he smothered a yawn, as his fatigue seeped into the warmth of the blanket, anchoring him in place.

Tenten's smile was gentle. "It's not an imposition, Neji. Take a break. I'll be up with your clothes in an hour or so, ok?"

"Take your time," he heard himself say, and then the world became pleasantly warm, dark, and silent.


	8. Curiosity Piqued

_*.*!_

* * *

**Anthropology from a Pragmatic Point of View**  
**Chapter Eight: Curiosity Piqued**

* * *

_"I am an investigator by inclination. I feel a great thirst for knowledge."  
― **Immanuel Kant**_

Neji was a light sleeper, by nature. Therefore, he was surprised to find himself surfacing from a rare, deep sleep – the kind where his mind was still and content to allow his senses to wake in their own time. When his eyes drifted open, he had a moment of pure peace before asking himself,

"Where am I?"

Normally he would have shot to alertness and bolted to his feet, but he surprised himself by remaining calm and carefully surveying the room. As he moved his blanket something crinkled, catching his attention.

There was a note pinned to his chest.

Confused, but curious, he managed to undo the rather large safety pin and read the note.

_Good morning, Neji. Did you know that you are a very sound sleeper? Hinata told me to let you rest, and she will run you home this morning. You are welcome to borrow the clean clothes I left on the chair, or wear the ones I washed last night. If you decide not to change, just return the clothes next time you come to KH. Toiletries in the bathroom, your phone is charging by the clothes. See you at breakfast - Tenten._

He stared stupidly at the note for a while, parsing it all together. Had she tried to wake him? He really must have been very deeply asleep, then – perhaps because of his misadventure in the lake? That had to be it; deep sleep only came to Neji if was very tired and somewhere familiar. He could tolerate hotels, but strongly disliked staying in the homes of others. There was no other possible explanation for his having been so completely insensible to the world around him.

His ruminations continued long enough that he remembered he was in a papasan, and briefly wondered if there was a way to extricate himself without tipping himself and the chair onto the floor. Gingerly he removed the blankets and swung himself to sitting, feet on the floor. With a small exhale of relief, he sat for a moment before standing and stretching his arms over his head.

He blinked once or twice before heading to the chair where everything was neatly laid out for him. He quickly checked his messages, and the time. It was later than he tended to wake, but it was still early by general standards. Hinata's message invited him to brunch at Konoha West but that she'd be glad to take him home any time before or after it. Another glance at the time assured him he had both options available to him. Hanabi had spent the night, so it would be a bonus if he could see both of his cousins.

The text he didn't expect was from Shikamaru.

_'If anyone asks, the clothes you borrowed are mine, and you slept in the RoR. I made sure it was locked while you were in Tenten's room. I left you shoes, too, since yours were still gross. I bought the wrong size, but didn't bother to return them, so you can keep them if they fit. Just a hint; if you wear the same clothes as last night, the girls will tease you.'_

Neji looked at the text, puzzled. 'What's RoR'

_'The Room of Requirement. The one you have a key to."_

"I will do what you suggest. Mind telling me why?"

_"When I get back."_

'I look forward to it.'

Still puzzled, but aware that Shikamaru was far too lazy to have bothered with a message if it were not something he deemed worthwhile, he followed his advice.

He decided the jeans he was wearing were more presentable than the folded joggers on the chair, and would mean less laundry to return. He freshened up and put all things he borrowed into the bag holding his clothes, made sure the room was in order, and went down the stairs. He still had his key, so after Tenten's door locked behind him, he let himself into the 'room of requirement.' There, as promised, was a new pair of shoes, next to the bagged pair of shoes that Neji suspected he would be throwing away.

"Might as well make it convincing," he muttered, folding up the pillows and blankets clearly left for him to use, and placing his things neatly in a corner before relocking the room, and going downstairs.

He ran into Kiba first, who looked him up and down with a crooked grin.

"I don't know that I've ever seen you in something that wasn't ironed."

"Where would you like me to put the linens from last night?"

"Linens," he called over his shoulder, causing a chorus of groans. "Pay up!"

Neji arched an eyebrow at Kiba, who patted him on the back.

"Knew you wouldn't let me down, Hyūga. C'mon. We're in the morning room. It's just us."

Neji followed Kiba to a room just off of the kitchen, and found several residents of Konoha East and West already in there. The side table with carafes of coffee beckoned him, even as Naruto jumped into his path.

"Neji," Naruto's eyes were wide. "How could you?"

"How could I…?"

"Linens? Are you kidding me?"

"As opposed to 'sheets?'"

"No!" Naruto looked pained. "I was certain you would go super-stuffy and call them bed clothes!"

Neji lifted one shoulder in an elegant shrug. "They weren't on a bed."

A chorus of "Oh-ho!" and "Called it!" went up. Neji followed their pointing fingers to Tenten, who was sipping at a large mug and failing at hiding a smug smile.

"Seriously?" Naruto planted his hands on his hips. "How did you know that is what he would say. Verbatim?"

"Since when do you know the word verbatim?" Neji quirked an eyebrow, earning another round of cheers, and more satisfaction from Tenten.

"This is just…" Naruto gulped as Tenten looked at him sharply. "Ludacris," he croaked.

Neji looked at Tenten. "Did you teach him these words?"

"Aw, c'mon, Neji," Naruto threw up his arms. "You know I'm not dumb. Did the two of you coordinate this?"

Neji crossed his arms. "Any deficits in your vocabulary can hardly be placed at my door."

"Fine," Naruto huffed. "Get you a tea?"

"I'd prefer coffee, if that is an option."

The eruption was instantaneous and Kiba pumped his fist in the air before pointing at Tenten. "YES! My girl – NAILED IT!"

Tenten simply poured coffee into a travel mug, screwed on the lid and handed it over to him.

She held it out to him and he raised his eyebrows. "Are there further bets on my response, or will a 'Thank you' suffice."

"You're welcome," Tenten smiled, and winked at him quickly – so quickly, he doubted anyone else noticed.

"You had to have help from Ino, right?" Naruto pressed. "Or Hinata told you the kinds of things Neji says?"

"I am observant, Naruto," Tenten said, amused. "Even you know how to do that when it matters."

Naruto flushed, and Neji had the distinct impression Tenten was referring to how much of his observational prowess had been directed at Hinata.

"Besides," Kiba slung an arm around Tenten's shoulders. "Tenten is so badass that she's the only girl to live here in decades. You think Tsunade or Jiraiya would've let her in here if she wasn't the best about getting the lay of the land?"

"She probably wanted to make sure someone made you mind your mess," Sakura teased, poking her head around the corner of the archway leading to the kitchen. "Come help carry things!"

Naruto rushed to help, as did Kiba and Kankurō, while Shino (who Neji had not noticed at all) helped Tenten with something on the sideboard. Neji made it as far as the doorway when Sakura waved him back. "We've got it," she grinned. "Thanks for the offer."

He dipped his head and stepped back, as everyone came back in, bearing food, including Konohamaru, Hanabi, Hinata, and of course Chōji.

"I hope you like waffles," Chōji grinned as he pushed a cart to where Shino and Tenten were working. "Made to order and ready!"

"My wife is the best," Kiba sighed happily, placing the chafing dish of bacon on the buffet.

Ino chuckled at him as she put a basket of bread at the end of the table. "Shika and I saw him first. We'll fight you."

"Bacon like this is worth dying for," Kiba shrugged.

Everyone shuffled around before finding a seat, and Neji looked up to see Hanabi, blinking widely as if she had just yawned. She stared at Neji for a moment, her mouth hanging open.

"Yes?"

He asked, amused by her gaping like a fish.

"You…you're wearing _jeans_."

"Courtesy of Shikamaru," Neji agreed, "and a much better option than wearing what I wore when I got pushed into the lake."

Hanabi shook her head back and forth. "Never thought I'd see the day."

"Here," Hinata guided her to a seat. "I'll get you a plate."

Hanabi was too dumbstricken to do much more than nod, but the others took Hinata's cue, and began filing toward the table to gather their own breakfast. Soon the room was humming with the sounds of old friends making pleasant conversation, with plenty of attention given to Hanabi and her impending enrollment at KU.

Neji was content to listen and observe, commenting when he needed to. His eyes drifted to Tenten, watching as she, too, listened. If she asked questions, they were focused and thoughtful. There was a precision to what she did, that should have felt sharper – more angled – than it did. He was beginning to appreciate her arsenal of skills – particularly conversational ones.

She met his eyes for a moment, and flicked them to his coffee. He shook his head minutely, she gave a brief nod, and stood to refill her own mug.

It struck him, then, that perhaps he was at a disadvantage; that he had been observed more than he had observed in turn. Tenten had gone so far as to share her space with him – something he knew she did not do lightly, and must have had some observational assurances prior to deciding to extend the invitation. And what was that text from Shikamaru about? Why did it matter who lent him what clothing?

Tenten returned to the table, laughing at something Hanabi said, and Neji smiled into his coffee.

It had been quite some time since he was curious about anything, or anyone.

Perhaps – just perhaps - it was time he turned his attention more fully to Tenten, and life at the Hidden Leaf.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! This will read more like a drabble series - I hope you enjoy it!


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